Days of non-alignment are over: Iqbal

Minister stresses investment, industries, information and individuals are key to progress

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Planning, Development and Reform Ahsan Iqbal has asked the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to finalise a comprehensive plan for an efficient documentation, monitoring, evaluation, assessment and implementation mechanism in anticipation of increased business activity due to projects being executed under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

He called for designing the plan while speaking at a business and research seminar on CPEC organised by the Directorate of Training and Research (Customs) of the FBR on Friday.

Planning, Development and Reform Secretary Shoaib Ahmad Siddiqui was present on the occasion while CPEC Project Director Hassan Daud Butt briefed participants on different projects.

He noted that most countries had progressed through bilateral and multilateral cooperation and Pakistan was following suit. "Days of non-alignment are over," he added.

Iqbal said Pakistan was lucky to have time-tested relationship with China. "Our Vision 2025 and China's Annual Plan complement each other," he said, adding CPEC had transformed bilateral relations between the two countries from defence-based to development-centric.

"This is the age of discovery, innovation and speed wherein old concepts as well as paradigms have become redundant," the minister emphasised. "Four Is - investment, industries, information and individuals - are crucial for development of any country which, in present circumstances, cannot be achieved by governments in isolation regardless of their strength," he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 22^nd, 2017.

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